Connolly & Stafford

[CallawaySabres]

Why are "TC and D's" considered scorers? A combined 13 years in the NHL and one 20 goal between them? They are easily replaced.

 

Exactly why I think neither will be here even if they have good years. Too much history between these two shows that they don't step up to the plate when counted on to win.

[inkman]

Exactly why I think neither will be here even if they have good years. Too much history between these two shows that they don't step up to the plate when counted on to win.

Except you aren't Darcy Regier and Deluca isn't Larry Quinn. Darcy has in no way ever expressed any serious displeasure with Tim Connolly, minus a soon to be forgotten presser where I'm not even certain he was referring to TC. So let's move on with the assumption that unless the Sabres are 30 points out of first at the trade deadline, Connolly isn't going anywhere.

[darksabre]

I don't understand the hate for Lalime. Miller would play every game if he could. I think any goalie in the league would tell you the same. Lalime plays when Miller wants a break or has a bad game. I'd bet good money Lindy does what Miller wants.

[nfreeman]

I think you're right about Miller's comfort zone with Lalime. Why is this the case? Would Miller be threatened by a better goalie? Personally, I can't wait for Enroth to start pushing Miller. It could be a good thing, if Miller didn't have a nervous breakdown.

More nonsense.

 

So, Regier gets credit for inheriting Hasek now?

 

Connolly? A Connolly replacement $5 mil? Are you actually Regier? Because I would find it hard to believe there are two people in this world stupid enough to overvalue Connolly to that extent.

Did DR's predecessor have Hasek? Did those teams get to the final 4?

 

As for TC, since you're so smart and I'm obviously not, why don't you tell us who you would propose to replace Connolly at less than $5MM. Please be specific.

[deluca67]

More nonsense.

 

 

Did DR's predecessor have Hasek? Did those teams get to the final 4?

 

As for TC, since you're so smart and I'm obviously not, why don't you tell us who you would propose to replace Connolly at less than $5MM. Please be specific.

They went as far as Hasek carried them, just as he did when Regier took over. Just as the Sabres will this year with Miller.

 

Replace Connolly? Less than $5 mil? Nathan Horton was available and he is signed for the next 3 years and brings much more to the rink each night for the bargain basement price of $4 mil. Hell, the Flyers picked up Nikolay Zherdev for only $2 mil. And if you want to stay strictly with centers Antoine Vermette is signed for $3.75 for the next five years and like Horton brings more to the team. He was available but the Sabres were too busy throwing more money away on Connolly.

 

We all know Ink is right. No matter what Connolly does he is getting another extension. He can play all 82 games and only score 10 points and Regier will still give him a raise. It is this fatal flaw that holds the organization back.

[PASabreFan]

More nonsense.

Always a wonderful retort, when your holster is empty.

 

I'm shocked -- shocked, I say! -- that you didn't want to take the Ryan Miller First Half-Second Half Challenge.

 

I mean, after accusing me of making up sh*t, you'd think you'd want to see the facts. Afraid?

[bunomatic]

Once again Deluca I agree with your last post. Regiers too proud or just plain stubborn to let 'his' boys go. He's too busy trying to prove himself right. Don't get me wrong, connoly will contribute and probably as good as he did last year barring injury but the time to jettison that body is this year and you can throw stafford in that mix too. We can't make changes for changes sake but to be afraid of change is a weakness this franchise doesn't need. As you pointed out players were and are there to be had at a comparable or better price if our G.M. was willing to grab it.

[deluca67]

Once again Deluca I agree with your last post. Regiers too proud or just plain stubborn to let 'his' boys go. He's too busy trying to prove himself right. Don't get me wrong, connoly will contribute and probably as good as he did last year barring injury but the time to jettison that body is this year and you can throw stafford in that mix too. We can't make changes for changes sake but to be afraid of change is a weakness this franchise doesn't need. As you pointed out players were and are there to be had at a comparable or better price if our G.M. was willing to grab it.

Sometimes, not all the time, just sometimes the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. This idea that Connolly is some type of offensive force or a impact/game changing player is just a out and out lie. He is no different than Max was. In many ways Max was/is a better player.

 

It's time for Regier to stop trying to win the Peca trade and move on.

[nfreeman]

They went as far as Hasek carried them, just as he did when Regier took over. Just as the Sabres will this year with Miller.

 

Replace Connolly? Less than $5 mil? Nathan Horton was available and he is signed for the next 3 years and brings much more to the rink each night for the bargain basement price of $4 mil. Hell, the Flyers picked up Nikolay Zherdev for only $2 mil. And if you want to stay strictly with centers Antoine Vermette is signed for $3.75 for the next five years and like Horton brings more to the team. He was available but the Sabres were too busy throwing more money away on Connolly.

 

We all know Ink is right. No matter what Connolly does he is getting another extension. He can play all 82 games and only score 10 points and Regier will still give him a raise. It is this fatal flaw that holds the organization back.

So DR takes over, hires Lindy and the team immediately does much better in the playoffs than it did under his predecessor, and DR gets no credit? OK. Then, he drafts Miller, Roy and Vanek, trades for Briere, Drury, Grier, Dumont, Hecht and Lydman and builds a great team -- and still gets no credit? That's just silly.

 

As for TC, if he goes, he needs to be replaced with a #1 or #2 center, so Horton and Zherdev (whom evidently nobody wanted) aren't relevant. Vermette is a decent player that Ottawa didn't want enough to keep and that no GM in the NHL would prefer over TC. He's also not nearly the scorer that TC is.

 

Last 5 seasons (ie since the lockout):

 

TC: 234 GP, 208 pts, 0.89 ppg

Vermette: 401 GP, 231 pts, 0.58 ppg

 

To be clear, I continue to feel that TC can't be relied on to stay healthy, and I don't think he's an elite player. But he's a #2 center or better on just about every team in the NHL other than Pittsburgh and Detroit. He was also either the best or 2nd-best forward on the Sabres last year. He's close to a PPG scorer. Guys like that cost real money. If we can get someone better, I'm all for it. If you told me that the Sabres could've gotten Marleau this summer but that they would've had to have unloaded TC -- no problem. But subtracting him from this team and replacing him with any of the guys you mentioned would've materially harmed their offense.

 

Always a wonderful retort, when your holster is empty.

 

I'm shocked -- shocked, I say! -- that you didn't want to take the Ryan Miller First Half-Second Half Challenge.

 

I mean, after accusing me of making up sh*t, you'd think you'd want to see the facts. Afraid?

I'm a bit afraid, but much more glad that you decided to post some facts instead of more hot air and dime-store psychoanalysis of someone you've never met. Of course, there are several problems with the "first 44/2nd 44" analysis, including:

 

- including the playoffs, where the level of opposition is higher and there are no bottom dwellers to improve the numbers, skews the results

- you need to adjust for strength of schedule

- you need to adjust for injuries & guys wearing down (like, say, his best defenseman, who seemed to get a bit ground down late in the year) -- which is more typical in the 2nd half of the season

 

Still, the facts are always welcome and if compelling enough (and well enough presented), I might even admit that your theory has some credence.

 

Sometimes, not all the time, just sometimes the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. This idea that Connolly is some type of offensive force or a impact/game changing player is just a out and out lie. He is no different than Max was. In many ways Max was/is a better player.

 

It's time for Regier to stop trying to win the Peca trade and move on.

Yes, the grass can be greener if guys like Crosby or Zetterberg or Datsyuk or 10 other NHL centers are mowing it. I don't think anyone is pretending otherwise. But to pretend that the Sabres could plug in any random Bob or Doug into TC's spot is, like the remainder of this post, ridiculous.

[PASabreFan]

So DR takes over, hires Lindy and the team immediately does much better in the playoffs than it did under his predecessor, and DR gets no credit? OK. Then, he drafts Miller, Roy and Vanek, trades for Briere, Drury, Grier, Dumont, Hecht and Lydman and builds a great team -- and still gets no credit? That's just silly.

 

As for TC, if he goes, he needs to be replaced with a #1 or #2 center, so Horton and Zherdev (whom evidently nobody wanted) aren't relevant. Vermette is a decent player that Ottawa didn't want enough to keep and that no GM in the NHL would prefer over TC. He's also not nearly the scorer that TC is.

 

Last 5 seasons (ie since the lockout):

 

TC: 234 GP, 208 pts, 0.89 ppg

Vermette: 401 GP, 231 pts, 0.58 ppg

 

To be clear, I continue to feel that TC can't be relied on to stay healthy, and I don't think he's an elite player. But he's a #2 center or better on just about every team in the NHL other than Pittsburgh and Detroit. He was also either the best or 2nd-best forward on the Sabres last year. He's close to a PPG scorer. Guys like that cost real money. If we can get someone better, I'm all for it. If you told me that the Sabres could've gotten Marleau this summer but that they would've had to have unloaded TC -- no problem. But subtracting him from this team and replacing him with any of the guys you mentioned would've materially harmed their offense.

 

 

I'm a bit afraid, but much more glad that you decided to post some facts instead of more hot air and dime-store psychoanalysis of someone you've never met. Of course, there are several problems with the "first 44/2nd 44" analysis, including:

 

- including the playoffs, where the level of opposition is higher and there are no bottom dwellers to improve the numbers, skews the results

- you need to adjust for strength of schedule

- you need to adjust for injuries & guys wearing down (like, say, his best defenseman, who seemed to get a bit ground down late in the year) -- which is more typical in the 2nd half of the season

 

Still, the facts are always welcome and if compelling enough (and well enough presented), I might even admit that your theory has some credence.

 

 

Yes, the grass can be greener if guys like Crosby or Zetterberg or Datsyuk or 10 other NHL centers are mowing it. I don't think anyone is pretending otherwise. But to pretend that the Sabres could plug in any random Bob or Doug into TC's spot is, like the remainder of this post, ridiculous.

Speaking of hot air... this post could have saved the Hindenburg. Oh the humanity!